"Meu marido sofre de apnéia do sono ..." Parte 2/2

Alice’s husband has been suffering from sleep apnea for a few years. It changed their lives. Having been anxious about his health and their future together, Alice now feels relieved after medical experts diagnosed OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea) and prescribed Paul a CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) equipment to treat it. Here, Alice shares their experience…

WHAT DID THE TREATMENT FOR OSA CHANGE IN YOUR DAILY LIFE?

A lot! He can sleep again now, and so can I. We wake up feeling rested. Most importantly, we know that Paul’s health is stable and isn’t getting any worse. That means a lot to me. After a few months of treatment, I don’t consider OSA to be an issue anymore. Problem solved! And I’m proud of Paul’s courage and perseverance.

IS IT DIFFICULT TO SLEEP WITH A CPAP MASK?

Paul got used to it very quickly. It probably took him a few weeks. The children too, after we explained that daddy needed a machine to help him sleep. We didn’t tell them he needed it to breathe, as we didn’t want to frighten them. As for me, it was an easy choice between having an air pipe in my face once in a while, and living with this threat dangling permanently over our heads.

With regards to our family organization, we adapt to it, one day at a time. It’s always here. We can’t leave without it if we plan to go away for the night. Or even take a nap. Every time we travel, we have to ask if it’s possible to plug it in on trains, planes, boats… We change our plans if we can’t plug the CPAP machine in anywhere.

A LOT OF NEW CPAP USERS WORRY ABOUT HOW IT WILL AFFECT THEIR INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS…

I can understand that, but it didn’t actually change anything for the two of us. Wearing such a big mask is far from glamorous, but it does not affect our intimate relationshipshaving . . Let’s remember that a CPAP mask is only supposed to be used for sleeping.

DO YOU HAVE ANY FINAL WORDS OF ADVICE FOR LIVING WITH SLEEP APNEA?

It has changed a lot in terms of our daily routine. We have new habits now, but nothing very important compared to the risk of not treating such a dangerous disease! We can look forward to the future. Paul is even thinking about starting a weight-loss plan…

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